To:G. K. ORJONIKIDZE

Published:First published in part in 1957 in the book:Istoria grazhdanskoi voiny v SSSR. 1917–1922(The History of the Civil War in the U.S.S.R. 1917–1922), Vol. 3.

      Published in full in 1960 in the book:Iz istorii grazhdanskoi voiny v SSSR, Vol. 1.

      Printed from the text in Stalin’s hand with an addition by Lenin.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1975,

      Moscow,Volume 44,

      pages70b-71a.Translated:Clemens DuttTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive.You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work, as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

ComradeSergo,

Ibeg you to pay serious attention to the Crimea and
the Donets Basin with a view to creating a united fighting
front against invasion from the West. Impress upon the
Crimean comrades that the course of events makes defence
imperative for them and that they must defend themselves
irrespective of ratification of the peace treaty. Make them
realise that the position of the north is substantially
different from that of the south, and in view of the war, the
actual war of the Germans against the Ukraine, help on the
part of the Crimea, which (the Crimea) the Germans can
gobble up in passing, is not only an act of neighbourly
duty, but a requirement for self-defence and self–
preservation. It is possible that Slutsky, failing to grasp the
complexity of the present situation, has taken some other,
simplified line of his own—in which case he must be put
in his place in my name. Immediate evacuation of grain
and metals to the east, organisation of demolition groups,
the creation of a united front of defence from the Crimea
to Great Russia, drawing in the peasants, a decisive and
unqualified transformation Ukrainian-wise of our units in
the Ukraine—these are the present tasks. Antonov should
be forbidden to call himself Antonov-Ovseyenko—he must
call himself simply Ovseyenko. The same applies to
Muravyov (if he remains in his post) and others.
As regards the Donets Republic, tell ComradesVasilchenko, Zhakov and others that however much they may
contrive to keep their region apart from the Ukraine,
it—judging from the geography of Vinnichenko—will all the
same he included in the Ukraine and the Germans will
proceed to conquer it. In view of this, it is quite absurd
for the Donets Republic to refuse a united defence front
with the rest of the Ukraine. Mezhlauk was in Petrograd
and he agreed to recognise the Donets Basin as an
autonomous part of the Ukraine; Artyom has also agreed to this;
therefore the obstinacy of some comrades from the Donets
Basin takes on the appearance of an entirely inexplicable
and harmful whim which is absolutely impermissible in
our Party midst.

Bringthis home to the comrades of the Crimea and
Donbas, Comrade Sergo, and get a united defence front set up.

Lenin14 (1).III.1918

Asregards money, arrange to issue what is essential for
defence, but be extremely cautious; give it only into the
most reliable hands and under the strictest control, as
there are lots of people these days who are eager to grab
or to throw money
away.[1]

[1]Thesignature, date and last sentence are in Lenin’s
handwriting.—Ed.